The first significant order came, however not for plant and chemicals, but for sub-contract services. The chocolate manufacturer Cadbury was so impressed with the results from a test run on a few stainless steel chocolate moulds, that they placed an order for processing 20,000 moulds. This order was to be the fore-runner of Anopols' venture into sub-contract electropolishing of stainless steels.
Rapid expansion of
the business demanded that Anopol move to a larger facility in the
Digbeth area of Birmingham. Over the next 25 years, Anopol purchased
two further factories in Digbeth as the demand for sub-contract services
continued to grow.
In
1980, the two brothers John and Brian Swain negotiated a management buyout
from the German parent company and as an independent company Anopol has
gone from strength to strength.
In 1994, a majority stake was acquired in a small electropolishing company Stainless & Allied Services (SAS) of Bordon, Hampshire, to extend services to customers in the South of England. This company, now operating as Anopol (South) Ltd, relocated in October 2004 to a much larger facility for the second time since the acquisition by Anopol.
